Leaders have begun to emerge as the season points races heated up on the quarter-mile “Thunder Ring” in Week 3 of Thursday Thunder at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Following week three action, a trio of divisions are separated by five or fewer points.
Will Robusto of Fort Mill, South Carolina earned his second win of the season and now sits atop the Bandits division with a three point lead in the standings after three weeks of action. In a caution free race, Robusto slid underneath DJ Canipe of Fallston, North Carolina at the strip on lap 16 to take the lead.
“I just thought he was going to keep going and I wasn’t going to catch him,” said Robusto follwing the race.
“Then when he started getting loose, I started catching him.”
Canipe challenged for the lead but could not find a lane around Robusto over the final four laps. Clay Thompson of Powersville finished third in the Bandits feature.
A green-white-checkered finish in the Allred Family Dentistry Semi-Pro/Young Lions division saw a pair of lead changes that included a crossover move by Taylor Jorgensen of Stockbridge to slip past William Martin of Douglasville for the win as the pair raced to the stripe. Jorgensen started on the pole and led all but one lap en route to the victory despite half a dozen cautions throughout the race. Martin’s second place finish helped him move into the division points lead. Jeff Holden of Gainesville had a challenging night as he entered Week 3 action as the division points leader but slipped back to 5th in the standings with a 10th place finish in the feature.
McDonough’s Scott Moseley moved up three spots in the Masters division points race with his first feature victory of the season. Moseley began the race on the point and held off Bill Plemons Jr. and Robbie Woodall for the win. A pair of cautions opened the door for both Plemons and Woodall, but neither driver could make the outside lane work on the restart as they fell back in line behind Moseley each time. Tina Johnson and Mark Swain finshed fourth and fifth respectively and now share the top spot in the Masters division thorugh three races.
Ashton Higgins of Weaverville, North Carolina added to his lead in the points standing in the Xtreme Fun on Wheels Outlaw division with his second trip to victory lane this season. Stockbridge’s Connor Younginer challenged for the lead on a restart following a caution midway through the race and led for a lap before Higgins regained the lead on the subsequent lap and held on for the win. Ricky Springer of McDonough finished third behind Higgins and Younginer respectively.
Ryan Younginer of Stockbridge earned the win in the Beginner Bandolero feature for his first career victory in Thursday Thunder. Younginer used lap-traffic to pass Wilder Etheredge of Albany on the backstretch along with Noah Dominy of Stathum to capture the checkered flag.
Thursday Thunder continues June 25th, featuring five racing divisions with various skill levels and competition, including Bandolero cars in the Beginner Bandits, Bandits, and Xtreme Fun on Wheels Outlaw divisions and Legends cars in the Allred Family Dentistry Semi-Pro/Young Lions and Masters/Pro divisions. The summer racing series continues through July 23, as drivers of all ages and skill levels compete in the 18th season of quarter-mile racing at AMS.
The July 9 Thursday Thunder event will be an INEX regional qualifier.
Grandstand tickets for the affordable, family-friendly racing series cost just $6 for adults, $2 for kids ages 6 through 11 and is free for children ages 5 and younger.
For more information, contact the Atlanta Motor Speedway ticket office at (770) 946-4211, (877) 9-AMS-TIX or visit www.atlantamotorspeedway.com.
Bandits
1. Will Robusto (Fort Mill, SC), 2. DJ Canipe (Fallston), 3. Clay Thompson (Powersville), 4. Isabella Robusto (Fort Mill, SC), 5. Blaise Maddox (Locust Grove), 6. Ryan Howell (McDonough), 7. Nathan Jackson (McDonough
Beginner Bandolero
1. Ryan Younginer (Stockbridge), 2. Noah Dominy (Stathum), 3. Wilder Etheredge (Albany), 4. Samuel Oliver (The Rock), 5. River Allen (Hirum), 6. Cameron Potter (Covington), 7. Carson Fisher (Bradenton, FL), 8. Keaton Hendrix (Homerville), 9. Dawson O’Connor (Stockbridge)
Masters
1. Scott Moseley (McDonough), 2. Bill Plemons Jr. (Locust Grove), 3. Robbie Woodall (McDonald), 4. Tina Johnson (Senoia), 5. Mark Swan (Dunwoody), 6. Phillip Young (Dallas), 7. Willie Gray (Cartersville), 8. Dennis Hecht (Hoschton), 9. Wes Potter (Covington), 10. Randy Shubert (Conyers), 11. Tony Armbruster (Covington)
Xtreme Fun on Wheels Outlaws
1. Ashton Higgins (Weaverville, NC), 2. Connor Younginer (Stockbridge), 3. Ricky Springer (McDonough), 4. Lawson Ingold (Social Circle), 5. Gauntt Hudgins (Savannah), 6. Trey Tadrzak (Stockbridge), 7. Hayden Swank (Woodstock)
Allred Family Dentistry Semi-Pro/Young Lions
1. Taylor Jorgensen (Stockbridge), 2. William Martin (Douglasville), 3. Brandon Brock (Hampton), 4. Amber Fleeman (Dacula), 5. Dylan Murray (Cumming), 6. Jordan Coker (Powder Spring), 7. Christopher Clanton (Brooks), 8. Aaron Bailey (Burlington, NC), 9. Hannah Bell (Raleigh, NC), 10. Jeff Holden (Gainesville)
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